Seriously Soupy on Food 2

Garlic Broth and Spring Vegetable Soup - Seriously Soupy

I recently had the pleasure having my Garlic Broth and Spring Vegetable Soup featured on Food 2. In case you missed it, check out the post and some photos of this tasty and healthy homemade soup recipe. Happy Spring!

Chunky Tomato Vegetable Soup

Chunky Tomato Vegetable Soup - Seriously Soupy

It is still pretty nippy out there and I even saw some snow this morning - despite the fact that it is technically spring. To take refuge, I am still enjoying hearty soups like this chunky tomato vegetable recipe. Originally featured as a guest post on Mom in the City, I recently made this soup using beans, tomatoes, onions, kale, carrots, broccoli, dried basil and rosemary. This recipe is also very flexible and you can use any variation of vegetables that you have or add some pasta or rice for a quick and hearty post-winter waiting for warmer days soup.

Chunky Tomato Vegetable Soup
Ingredients:
2-3 cups of water – you can add more if you want a thinner soup
5 heirloom tomatoes, cut up or 1 can of chunky tomato sauce
3 cloves of garlic, peeled and minced
1/2 yellow onion, peeled and minced
1 can of kidney beans
1/2 bunch of kale trimmed and torn into bite-sized pieces
2-3 stalks of carrots, peeled and cut
1/2 bunch of broccoli, cut up
2-3 red potatoes, cut up
3 bay leaves
1 tablespoon of dried basil
1 tablespoon of dried rosemary
salt
pepper

Directions:
Drizzle some olive oil on the bottom of medium-sized pot. Cut up the tomatoes (or open the can) and add them to a pot. Let cook for 5 minutes and add one cup of water. Remove from flame and blend together using a hand mixer – should be slightly chunky. Return to a low flame and add the rest of the water and cover. Cut up the onions and garlic and add them, along with the basil, rosemary and bay leaves to the pot and bring to a slight boil. Prepare and cut up the carrots, potatoes, kale and broccoli and add them to the pot along with the beans and some salt and pepper. Stir and bring to a medium-heat. Cover and let cook for 30 minutes, checking on the soup periodically. Taste and add more salt or pepper, if necessary. Enjoy!

Serving Suggestions:
Top with Parmesan cheese or croutons.

Seriously Soupy Serena

Garlicky Green Soup

Garlicky Green Soup - Seriously Soupy

Another ode to St. Patrick's Day, this Garlicky Green Soup is essentially just that - tons of garlic and various green vegetables that I blended together.  I cooked a mixture of celery, peas, broccoli, spinach, and green beans with some onions, potatoes, rosemary, thyme and a dollop of Greek yogurt for a healthy rich vegetable mixture. Since I am a die hard garlic fan I was also really excited that I was able to test out a new line of gourmet garlic products called Garlic Gold in this recipe. Essentially chunky garlic nuggets, this organic garlic company features a line of condiments ranging from Italian Herb Nuggets to Parmesan Nuggets, and of course, a great selection of crunchy garlic nuggets. For this super garlicky soup, I used a combination of their Garlic Gold with Extra-Virgin Olive Oil and their Garlic Gold Nuggets - resulting in a rich and powerful flavor that worked really well with the earthy combination from the vegetables. This soup can also be easily modified based on the vegetables you have at home and can include a combination of other colors as well, even though, it's pretty hip to be green...

Garlic Gold's Product Line

Garlicky Green Soup
(Printable Recipe)

Ingredients:
1 yellow onion, peeled and chopped
2-3 cups of water
1/2 cup of frozen peas
1/2 cup of broccoli
2 ribs of celery, chopped up
Bunch of spinach, rinsed
1/4 tablespoon of dried thyme
1/4 tablespoon of dried rosemary
2-3 potatoes, cut up
1/2 cup of green peas
1 tablespoon of Garlic Gold with Extra-Virgin Olive Oil 
1/4 tablespoon of Garlic Gold Nuggets
dollop of Greek yogurt (optional)
salt and pepper, to taste 

Directions:
Add water to a medium-sized pot and let boil on a low heat. Cut up the onions and potatoes and add them to the pot, along with the garlic, rosemary and thyme when the water boils. Cover and let cook for 10-15 minutes. Add in the green vegetables, salt and pepper and cover for another 15 minutes. Blend the mixture and top with yogurt. Enjoy!



Seriously Soupy Serena

Creamy Bell Pepper and Orange Tomato Soup

 Creamy Bell Pepper and Orange Tomato Soup - Seriously Soupy

Originally, this soup was intended to be a roasted red pepper and orange tomato, but thanks to issues with my oven the soup was boiled and blended -- classic soupy style. No worries, though, the combination of red and yellow peppers and orange tomatoes created quiet the flavorful soup that also included garlic, basil, lemon thyme, cinnamon and yogurt. Very easy to prepare, this soup smelled really good during the quick cooking process (less than an hour) that was equally amazing to eat: smooth, creamy and slightly sweet. A perfect summer soup that can be savored roasted or not.

10 Super Soups for the Super Bowl

Image from Gridskipper.com (I know, I know the Bears didn't make it in)

It's that time of year again - Super Bowl!! -  where legions of fans gather together to eat, scream at the TV, bump chests, and eat some more. Ok, so I know this event is much more than that, but as a confused observer I am a bit ignorant in the ways of football, which basically means that I don't know what the heck is going on. No worries, the rules are explained to me time-and-time again and I still glaze over, but that doesn't mean that I don't enjoy the communal aspect of having friends together (even if it is to scream at a TV) and, of course, the food! Greasy, uncomfortably filling, and generally unhealthy, super bowl parties seem to be lacking one major component to complete the festivities (at least in my world) and that of course is soup! Having soup at your super bowl party will start the evening off on a semi-healthy note (stop laughing) and not just include chili (although this is also an option and can even be made healthy and yes, even vegan). I am working on a super bowl soup recipe for Friday's post that I promise won't be a standard offering. Until then, here are some other soups that you may want to feature (or bring) to your next soup (er) bowl party:

10 super soups for the super bowl
1. Super Bowl Sunday Soup from Red Velvet Cafe-A hearty beef stew complete with a heaping dose of veggies and spices. Takes some time to prep (seven hours!), so be sure to factor that into your day.
2. Meatfree Super Bowl Chili from Starting Over-Utilizing various beans (black, garbanzo, kidney,  and vegetarian baked beans), this meatless chili was cooked in a slow cooker, which I'm sure could be modified into a pot. The recipe also includes corn, celery, bell peppers, and various spices to complete this filing meat-free chili.
3. Super Bowl Chili (with Meat) from That's So Yummy-Of course most super bowl parties don't feel complete without meat chili, and this one from That's So Yummy does not mess around. It is complete with ground beef, beans, and bacon (yes, bacon) that is sure to satisfy even the hungriest football fanatic.
4. Broccoli and Cheese Soup with Soymilk from Curious Eats- Start your party off with this healthier version of a broccoli and cheese soup that uses soymilk and reduced fat cheese.
5. Pace Picante Chicken Tortilla Super Bowl Soup from Cookie Girl-Using Pace Picanta salsa, this recipe is essentially a chicken soup with a twist. Top it off with Cookie Girl's homemade tortilla chips for a perfect pre-game side.
6. Cajun 15 Bean Soup from The Bear Brunch-A soup of 15 beans and sausage is surely a scrumptious meal to complete any super bowl party. The recipe also includes onions, garlic, tomatoes and lemon to complete the soup.
7. All Veggie Vegetable Soup from Eat At Home-Even all veggie soup can be enjoyed on the Super Bowl. This one includes five veggies that can be modified based on your preferences and even includes a cornbread and cheddar muffin recipe to accompany this healthy soup.
8. Baked Potato Soup from Raising Little Women-Potato Skins, Potato Chips, and Potato Skins-potatoes are a major par of the Super Bowl. Why not switch things up a bit by having your potatoes skins in soup?
9. Potato and Leek Soup from Seriously Soupy-Shameless Self-Promotion? Maybe, but this potato and leek soup is so easy to make and gives potatoes a subtle boast with onions, cream, and whole leeks.
10. Spicy Roasted Corn from Seriously Soupy-Yet another SS soup. I love this one for its spicy kick and of course of the yummy roasted corn. Double or even triple the amount of corn in the recipe since this one is suited for one, and adjust the amount of spices and salt by tasting it as you go.
11. To come on Friday...Stay Tuned!

What are some of your favorite super bowl soups?
Seriously Soupy Serena

Black-Eyed Peas and Mixed Veggie Soup

Although I am not the biggest fan of the winter, it is a great time to experiment with soups and especially those that are filing enough to pass off as a meal. With that in mind I wanted to create a bean soup where I started out with one single ingredient — dry black-eyed peas. I have tried this tasty little bean in various dishes, but never used it in a soup. With that part down, I wasn't sure if I wanted to use  kale or spinach or collard greens as the green veggie, but opted to use kale since this was also an ingredient that I haven't cooked with all that much. I also added more veggies (squash, leeks, carrots, and beets) some onions, garlic, salt and pepper. What resulted was a hearty and tasty winter soup that took virtually no time to prepare and cook and is even versatile enough to be substituted for any veggies or another bean based on your preference. Here's the quick and easy black-eyed pea and veggie soup recipe:

Soup Tester: Soba Vegetable Soup

There is nothing like a cold and rainy day that makes me want soup. I wish I was home to nestle under the covers with a big bowl, but since that wasn't the case today a big bowl at work would have to do.

I was going to go to Hale and Hearty Soup Co., but after a few days of having there 10 vegetable soup I wanted to get adventurous and try something new. However, my version of adventurous isn't very daring at all; it is perhaps a little boring as I chose a soba vegetable soup at a sushi place near by office. For $ 6 dollars a bowl I immediately questioned by decison, but realized that there was no turning back.

The ingredients:
6-8 Oz's of soup
Broth: onion-based with soba noodles (buckwheat-based)
Vegetables: green beans, mushrooms, scallions, and carrots

The verdict:
It did the trick-got me warm and tasted good. Reminded me of a French Onion Soup due to the broth and I wanted more of those flavors as opposed to tons of noodles. I also wanted more vegetables, being that I ordered a vegetable soup, but it was more of a noodle soup. This isn't bad, just not exactly my preference. I would have this soup again, but at 6 bucks a pop I think I'll be concocting something like this on my own.

Stay Warm!
Seriously Soupy Serena

Vegetable and Chicken Medley Soup

For the past couple of days I have been really sick, which is no fun as we all know. One of the best remedies for a cold is soup! I wanted to create a hearty soup and one that would make me feel good as well as provide me with a substantial amount of nutrients, so I decided on a vegetable/chicken creation. This variety was incredible and made 6 large bowls of soup, making it less than 2.00 per bowl. Dig in and slurp it up!

P.S. A vegetable/chicken medley soup is also called garbage soup since it can be changed and varied, depending on your preferences and dietary restrictions. Take out the chicken, if you are a vegetarian and add tofu, or switch up the potatoes for pasta. whatever you want to change you can! One of the best things about soup is the choice is yours.
 
Vegetable and Chicken Medley Soup 
Ingredients:
Organic vegetable broth (I used organic cause I happened to go into a health-food store. A chicken broth is fine, but a beef broth may not add the same flavors…
2-3 cups of water
2-3 red potatoes
Half a bag of mixed frozen veggies or veggie of your choice
Half a bag of chopped organic carrots
Organic chicken breasts cut up into cubes
Salt and Pepper (Taste to determine how much)
2 chicken bouillon cubes
1 clove of garlic chopped up
Half of a red onion chopped up
Rosemary (Fresh is better, but I used dried) 

Directions:
Pour broth and water in a large soup pot. Bring to a slight boil and add onions, garlic, rosemary, salt, pepper, and bouillon. Add chicken to the pot. After around 20 minutes add carrots, potatoes. Mixed veggies can be added during the last 10-15 minutes, since they cook so quickly. salt and pepper to taste and devour! Approximate cooking time: 2 hours.

Side note: For this soup, I added raw spinach to the bottom of my bowl and poured the soup on top. Since the soup was super hot it essentially cooked the spinach. I also added a bit of cheese to the top. Again, soup variations are so easy and can be catered toward your palate.

Seriously Soupy Serena
PS. No pic on this one, but I will post for the next…Enjoy the soup and let me know about how your vegetable medley turns out.